


What Could Have Been

by TheChichiSlaughterHouse



Category: One Piece
Genre: Canon Divergent, M/M, No Dialogue, Self-Indulgent, Spoilers for Wano, Spoilers for chapter 975, TCSH
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:45:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23351152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheChichiSlaughterHouse/pseuds/TheChichiSlaughterHouse
Summary: It was only supposed to have been a warning slash: something to make the cook notice him coming and get out of his way, not actually hit him.(In which Zoro fucks up and Sanji is not pleased about it.)
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 16
Kudos: 106





	What Could Have Been

**Author's Note:**

> What Could Have Been
> 
> By The Chichi Slaughter House
> 
> Warnings: ZoroxSanji, spoilers for Wano, canon divergent but spoilers for chapter 975 (in the notes), TCSH being even more self-indulgent than usual.
> 
> Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda.
> 
> Rating: PG-13 (for implications I guess?)
> 
> So, this is an idea I’ve had for a while but not done anything about for one reason or another. The specific image in my head was one I liked but I didn’t wanna be throwing around spoilers so easily. Then again, Oda has decided to make it impossible for me to have my hopes and dreams now, so I guess fuck that. How dare he take away Sanji’s long hair and their Wano outfits?? I feel betrayed.
> 
> Also yes, I hate the raid suit. There’s a plethora of reasons for that which I [posted about on my dreamwidth](https://slaughterchichi.dreamwidth.org/3199.html) the other day. You can read it or not, agree or not, whichever you prefer.
> 
> So this is basically a combination of all the things I want but can't have. Pure self-indulgence.
> 
> [Twitter](http://twitter.com/slaughterchichi) | [Tumblr](http://slaughterchichi.tumblr.com) | [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/slaughterchichi) | [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/slaughterchichi)

It was only supposed to have been a warning slash: something to make the cook notice him coming and get out of his way, not actually hit him. Zoro had figured the motion would have alerted him so he could cut down the guy behind Sanji and protect him from his attack, but it had gone further than he intended. The back-attack wasn’t an issue anymore – the assailant had been caught by the swing too – but it had caused way more damage than it should have.

Sanji stood a few feet away in shock, his hands clasping at his crotch with his long golden hair down around his shoulders. Almost naked if not for his gloves, boots and facemask, which had somehow managed to survive. Too stunned to speak let alone yell at him, eyes wide for a variety of reasons.

The first probably being surprise that this had happened at all, the second almost certainly because of his state of undress. The wind on the battlefield rushed past them, sending Sanji’s hair towards his right, tickling over his bare skin.

Zoro felt like he should apologise but was distracted by the thrumming of Enma in his hand. Yet another problem-child, not listening to him and overdoing it without regard for his feelings. Worse than Sandai Kitetsu or Shuisui had ever been – at least Kitetsu seemed to respect him. Why else would it have chosen not to cut through his arm when he’d tossed it in the air? Zoro wasn’t stupid enough to believe that had just been luck. Shuisui had been easy enough to gain control over after he’d practised, but Enma was going to be a whole new challenge.

He’d been alright with swapping one for the other when he’d been asked, knowing that he’d be able to make good use of Enma when he managed to get used to it. Not yet, not any time soon, but eventually. The issue he was facing right now was that he simply hadn’t gotten around to it yet; too busy trying to fight wars in Wano to be able to master it. Not realising how it was going to cause him problems, like the one he was dealing with now.

Zoro would have laughed at Sanji’s predicament at any other opportunity; savoured his humiliation and enjoyed the sight before him with relish. But right now they were in the middle of a fight they couldn’t afford to lose, and he’d made the cook somewhat defenceless. Not entirely, because he knew that even without that raid suit Sanji was a powerful fighter, but the nude state didn’t help things. If it were just the two of them, Sanji would already have been kicking him for it.

As it was, the cook seemed unable to move. Stunned into shame, trying to cover himself up – probably overly aware that there were women here, not wanting to be considered a flasher if he kept trying to fight.

Thankfully all movement nearby seemed to have stopped as soon as Sanji’s clothes had been shredded; as though everyone here was feeling sorry for him at once. A brief glance around at them told Zoro it wasn’t quite like that – the stares didn’t seem apologetic at all. The blushes over the men’s faces only added to that, a nosebleed from one guy pissing Zoro off.

Frustrated by that weirdness and unwilling to let this chance slide by, Zoro rushed over to where Sanji was, grabbing the outer layer of his kimono from his scabbards and throwing it over the cook’s shoulders. Unsurprised when he found himself on the end of a murderous look, standing right in front of Sanji to shield him from view as he hurriedly rammed his arms through the sleeves.

Yeah, he knew he was going to pay the price for this later – though it wasn’t really his fault – but Sanji seemed to be swallowing his rage down right now. Both having grown more mature in the past few years, not willing to let an accident like this get in the way of what they needed to do. Zoro hadn’t forgotten the time Sanji had kicked a guy when he’d been trying to catch his sword in his hands, still felt resentment over it even now. Luckily that squabble hadn’t cost them anything when they’d immediately bickered, but there was currently far too much at stake to lose themselves here.

Zoro was equally unsurprised when he felt Sanji’s hands on his obi, yanking the sash from around his waist. His white kimono fell from his waist onto the floor in a heap, only having been hanging on from that alone since he’d pushed it off his shoulders when he’d started to get serious. Almost nude himself now, though not really a problem for him since he was still wearing underwear and didn’t feel shy about this kind of stuff anyway.

For a moment he wondered if Sanji was going to strip him of his underwear too. Whether in revenge or to don it himself, make it possible for him to kick without exposing himself again. Instead Sanji just tied the sash on in a hurry, his face red as he tried not to look at Zoro anymore. The black mask doing nothing to hide the flush that covered his cheeks up to his eyes, his gaze averted to the side as he tied a huge knot in it.

Ah.

If he hadn’t known better, Zoro would have smirked at that. Could feel the edges of his mouth twitching as he tried to maintain his composure, knowing Sanji was feeling hot under the collar at him being practically naked in front of him. He hadn’t missed the long look over his scar whilst the cook had untied his obi at all, resisted the urge to flex his pecs as Sanji yanked his facemask back over his head to hold his hair out of his face. Not catching his fringe somehow, it seeming resistant as always to being moved though Zoro had no idea how it did that.

The swordsman took a moment to look over Sanji’s new attire; enjoying the way his hair trickled over his shoulders and the way the kimono was pulled in tight around his waist. Both suiting him – though honestly, what didn’t suit the bastard? – and thrilling Zoro at the thought that Sanji was wearing his clothes.

Sanji’s eyes snapped back to his faster than he’d have liked; seeming icy and piercing as he scowled. Not needing more than this gaze to let Zoro know that he was in fact right that he was going to get shit for this, though he’d figured it out already.

Distracted by the sight in front of him, Zoro almost missed the sound of someone charging up behind him; staying calm even as Sanji gripped onto his shoulder and swung around behind him to kick the guy in the face. Allowing the save despite not needing it, though Enma was still shaking in his hand – giving Sanji the chance to recoup some of his confidence after having it stripped along with his clothes.

It seemed that the momentary calm caused by Sanji’s nudity had worn off; men rushing at them from all sides and demanding their attention. Zoro didn’t mind that; was actually grateful for the hurried return to battle. The awkwardness of it all now appearing to fade away, forgotten in the fight for their lives.

Zoro chuckled as he felt Sanji running off behind him, no doubt ready to channel his rage over this whole thing into every kick of his legs. He would have envied the poor bastard that was about to end up on the end of it if he didn’t know he was going to be in for the same fate after all this; Sanji didn’t let go of grudges that easily, was likely to get fired up about it all over again as soon as possible. For days if not weeks on end; the swordsman anticipating not only his body to end up smacked around but his ears to probably go deaf from all of the screaming he had to look forward to.

Something he was just going to have to live with and was going to have to hold back from making any comments about since talking back would just make it worse. He could point out the fact that Enma had refrained from hurting him, but it wouldn’t get him any leeway. Probably just end up with the cook making fun of him for not being able to control his weapons – a jibe that whilst true would just piss him off and extend the whole thing further. He doubted he’d hear the end of it anyway, but adding oil to the flames was a bad idea.

Shaking that thought out of his mind, Zoro gripped Enma tighter in his hand and withdrew both Kitetsu and Wadou. Placing Wadou firmly between his jaws in her rightful place, grasping the other two as he let his fighting instincts take over yet again. Running back into the fray as if there hadn’t been a pause at all; cutting men down left and right almost effortlessly. There was too much to do now to worry about the future just yet, but that blush across the cook’s face told him that it wouldn’t all be bad.

Still, he was going to put a serious amount of effort into mastering Enma as soon as possible. Whilst it might be fun to strip Sanji to nothing in a single slash, having a problem-child was only going to hinder him long-term.

A shame, but not that big of a deal – he knew from past experience that he didn’t need a sword for that after all.


End file.
